The Gospel of the Forty Days: Breaking Bread
St. Luke’s
Gospel shows us some of Jesus’ teaching, and a reminder of a command, on that
first evening of Jesus’ Resurrection when Jesus joined the two disciples on
their way to Emmaus. “Beginning with Moses and all the prophets He interpreted
to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Lk 24:27). The
disciples later said their hearts were burning within them as Jesus was
speaking (Lk 24:32), but they did not recognize that it was the Lord Jesus
until they were at table. Jesus “took the bread, gave thanks, and broke
it, and
gave it to them” (Lk 24:30). Recall that on the prior Thursday Passover
evening, Jesus “took bread, and when He had given thanks, He broke it and gave
it to them” (Lk 22:19). St. Luke uses essentially the same expression both
times. In Jesus repeating the same gesture, “their eyes were opened and they
recognized Him” (Lk 24:31).
References:
Jaroslav Pelikan, Acts (part of the Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible series) (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press) p. 38-41, 216-218.
We are
continuing to see what commands (Ac 1:2) and teachings (Ac 1:3) the resurrected
Lord Jesus gave, or might have given, during the forty days between His
Resurrection and Ascension – what Jaroslav Pelikan called the “Gospel of the
Forty Days.”
On
Thursday’s Passover evening, Jesus had instituted the Holy Eucharist of His
Body and Blood in anticipation of His Passover death the next day. (Passover
began Thursday sundown and ended Friday sundown.) This is now Sunday evening
and the resurrected Christ does the same gestures, by which the two disciples
recognize that it is the LORD. Jesus became “known to them in the breaking of
the Bread” (Lk 24:35) – highlighting the significance of Jesus’ acts.
So the
“Gospel of the Forty Days” clearly included Jesus’ teaching on the Holy
Eucharist, and likely a repeat to the Apostles of the command Jesus had given
that Thursday evening: “Do this in remembrance of Me’” (Lk 22:19; cf., 1 Cor
11:24-25). The Apostles clearly understood and obeyed this command and teaching
because “they held steadfastly to ... the breaking of the Bread” (Ac 2:42), and
they were “day by day ... breaking Bread” (Ac 2:46). St. Paul similarly
celebrated the Sunday Eucharist (Ac 20:7, “On the first day of the week when we
were gathered together to break Bread”).
Now the
Jewish Passover was on the 14th day of the first month; however, Numbers 9:11
tells us that if someone was unclean or away on a journey so cannot make
Passover, they still shall keep Passover but on the 14th day of the second
month. This “Second Passover,” coming 10 days before Jesus’ Ascension (and no
doubt attended by some of His followers who could not make the first Passover),
would be a natural opportunity for Jesus to teach them again about the
Eucharist, His death, and the New Covenant.
What might
Jesus have said? He would remind them, “This is My Body” and “This is My Blood”
– his Real Presence; the “Blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many
for the forgiveness of sins” (Mt 26:26, 28; Mk 14:22, 24; Lk 22:19-20) – the
New Covenant Jeremiah had prophesied which would write God’s law upon the heart
and all would know the Lord and have their sins forgiven and forgotten (Jer 31:31-34). He would remind them, “I am
the Living Bread which came down from Heaven ... and the Bread which I shall
give for the life of the world is My Flesh” (Jn 6:51, cf., vv. 33, 35, 41, 48).
“He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life ... [and] abides in
Me and I in him” (Jn 6:54, 56). He would speak of the blood and water, signs
flowing from Jesus’ pierced side at His death on the cross (Jn 19:34). He would
impress upon them the importance of taking the Eucharist worthily, examining
one’s conscience, not profaning the Lord’s Body and Blood, and recognizing that
it is the Lord’s Body and Blood (1 Cor 11:27-29).
This Sunday we celebrate the Most Holy Body and Blood of
Christ (Corpus Christi) in which we remember again this most wonderful,
beautiful way in which the Lord Jesus is daily fulfilling the promise He made
before His Ascension: “I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Mt
28:20).
Dibby Green
Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church is located in California City, CA. Visit our website at ollcalcity.org.References:
Jaroslav Pelikan, Acts (part of the Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible series) (Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press) p. 38-41, 216-218.